- Success Criterion 2.1.1
- Conformance level A
Signature Pad Required With No Non-Drawing Alternative
2.1.1 — Keyboard
Scenario
Setting
A news outlet's article page
What’s wrong
Signature pads / drawing inputs gating required flows without an alternative (exception misapplied when the *function* isn't path-dependent, e.g., "type your name").
Example
<div onclick="submitForm()">Submit</div>Why it matters
Blind users, people with motor disabilities, and anyone operating the interface without a pointer.
How to test
Tab through a required signature step: if drawing with a mouse/finger is the only way to complete it, with no typed-name or checkbox alternative, it fails.
How to fix
Offer a non-drawing alternative (typed name, checkbox confirmation) for signature steps.
<button onclick="submitForm()">Submit</button>A native button is focusable and triggers on Enter/Space automatically; a div needs all of that added by hand.
Outcome
On a news outlet's article page, this barrier is gone for blind users, people with motor disabilities — they reach the same outcome without extra effort.
Who is affected
Blind users, people with motor disabilities, and anyone operating the interface without a pointer.
Learn more
- Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
Related scenarios
- Feature That Only Responds to Mouse Events, Not the Keyboard
- Element That Loses Focus the Instant It’s Reached by Keyboard
- Clickable Element Acting Like a Link With No Real Keyboard Role
- Clickable Div With No Keyboard Focus or Key Handling at All
- Focusable Element That Enter and Space Don’t Actually Activate
- Custom Dropdown That Can’t Be Operated by Keyboard Arrows